Pretenders – A+E Interactivehttp://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei
Bay Area Arts and Entertainment BlogFri, 02 Sep 2016 02:00:48 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.5.3The Pretenders are still the real dealhttp://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2009/03/15/the-pretenders-are-still-the-real-deal/
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2009/03/15/the-pretenders-are-still-the-real-deal/#respondMon, 16 Mar 2009 00:27:02 +0000http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2009/03/15/the-pretenders-are-still-the-real-deal/By Jim Harrington The Pretenders came to the Fillmore to support “Break Up the Concrete,” the band’s first studio outing since 2002’s “Loose Screw.” Mission accomplished. What was expected to be a hit-filled nostalgia ride on Saturday – the first… Continue Reading →

The Pretenders came to the Fillmore to support “Break Up the Concrete,” the band’s first studio outing since 2002’s “Loose Screw.”

Mission accomplished.

What was expected to be a hit-filled nostalgia ride on Saturday – the first of a sold-out two-night stand at San Francisco’s most legendary venue – turned out to be something quite different: a celebration of the best batch of material that the band has recorded since 1986’s “Get Close.”

Sure, vocalist Chrissie Hynde, drummer Martin Chambers and the other, newer Pretenders played all the hits fans expected, all-time great tunes like “Brass in Pocket,” “Message of Love” and “Talk of the Town.” Yet, very few of those offerings ended up ranking among the most memorable cuts of the night.

Most of the best numbers hailed from the no-nonsense new album, an 11-track set that is rooted in classic Nashville sounds, ‘50s-era rock, straight-up rockabilly and plenty of Bo Diddley-style beats. The band is definitely putting a little something extra into these songs, a kind of electricity that the years have drained out of “Don’t Get Me Wrong” and other hits, and the result at the Fillmore was some truly inspired performances.

Taking the stage a little after 10 p.m., Hynde picked up her guitar and got right down to business, calling out `One, two, three, let’s go!” and then charging full-throttle into the new album’s great “Boots of Chinese Plastic.” She then dropped her axe, for one of the few times during the night, and worked the crowd like a carnival barker on another new song, the sexy send-up “Don’t Cut Your Hair.”

Hynde was thrilled to back playing at the Fillmore, commenting more than once upon the thing that she says separates the building from other concert halls. “Wow – a lot of pot (smoke) in the room tonight – more than any other city that we’ve been to,” she marveled. “It’s good. I can use a contact high.”

The 57-year-old vocalist-guitarist definitely returned the favor as she continued through an 80-minute set that left every fan in the building feeling high. Fans, of course, showed much enthusiasm for “Back on the Chain Gang” and other decades-old MTV hits, which all still sound remarkably contemporary.

Yet, the Pretenders managed to keep the focus on the new material, as the quintet hammered out particularly strong versions of “Rosalee,” “Love’s a Mystery” and “Break Up the Concrete.”

It’s ironic to note just how good Martin Chambers sounded on the new material, given that the drummer didn’t contribute a single beat to the recording sessions. Hynde used Oklahoma session-ace Jim Keltner on the album, reportedly because his playing style was more in line with the music, but it’s hard to understand the need for the substitution based on Saturday’s Fillmore show: Chambers handled the new songs perfectly.

The Pretenders, as most know, were inducted in 2005 to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, an enshrinement that usually signals that a band’s best days are behind it. The live performance of the “Break Up the Concrete” material at the Fillmore, however, showed that this group still has plenty left in the tank.

Rex Foundation Benefit
Saturday, December 13, 2008
The Warfield
San Francisco, CA
This event has changed to a new venue. The event will now take place at The Grand Ballroom.

Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Marin Veterans Memorial Auditorium
San Rafael, CA
This event has a performer change. David Oliver Resin will not be performing, and Greg Mortenson will perform as scheduled.